Some Republicans Back Civil Unions For Gay Couples In GOP Platform

Several GOP delegates working on the
2012 Republican Platform backed adding support for civil unions.

Barbara Ann Fenton, a 31-year-old
delegate from Rhode Island, formally made the suggestion last week as
Republicans meeting in Tampa hammered out the document in committee.

“As a Roman Catholic, there's nobody
in this room who believes [more than I do] that the definition of
marriage is between one man and one woman, but those are my religious
beliefs,” Fenton said in making the motion. “This country was
founded on the separation of church and state.”

“For my own generation, a lot of
times homosexuality is not the biggest deal in the world. And that's
OK.”

Several people spoke up to “second”
her motion.

“I'm from New England, where support
for gay couples is really old news,” said Themis Klarides, a state
representative from Connecticut who backed Fenton's motion.

“This speaks to the heart of what
Republicans believe in – less government interference in our
lives,” Klarides is quoted as saying in a
CNN report.